Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,879 in Bristol versus $2,767 in Edinburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Bristol versus $4,064 in Edinburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,380 in Bristol versus $5,361 in Edinburgh.

Living in Bristol is roughly 4% more expensive than Edinburgh, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 115% above, Edinburgh 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.15

$20.73 £15.44

-1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.3

$104 £77.1

0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$9.95 £7.41

8.04%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.83

$5.32 £3.97

-3.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.61 £1.94

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.01 £1.50

-13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.92

$7.64 £5.69

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 £5.07

$6.93 £5.16

-1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.65 £1.23

-5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.73 £1.29

35.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.18 £1.62

-14.22%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.11

$4.37 £3.26

-4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 £9.16

$11.93 £8.88

3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 £8.46

$10.25 £7.63

10.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 £9.05

$18.87 £14.06

-35.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$3.22 £2.40

5.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.49 £1.11

10.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.03

$4.14 £3.09

-34.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 £2.97

$4.74 £3.53

-16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.82 £1.36

12.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.42 £1.06

25.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.16 £0.87

3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.33 £0.99

39.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.50 £15.27

$20.21 £15.05

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 £8.07

$11.36 £8.46

-4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.22

$2.50 £1.86

19.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$3.27 £2.44

-17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 £2.32

$2.64 £1.97

17.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.5

$89.4 £66.6

28.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.15

$5.58 £4.16

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$3.15 £2.34

-46.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 £20.64

$42.77 £31.85

-35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.95 £1.45

-2.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.2K £28.5K

-0.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.3K £26.3K

$38.8K £28.9K

-9.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$301 £224

$381 £284

-20.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.75 £12.48

$17.32 £12.90

-3.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.52 £33.90

$44.43 £33.09

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 £37.10

$54.5 £40.59

-8.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 £7.54

$24.51 £18.26

-58.71%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$14.73 £10.97

-6.86%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,193 £1,633

$1,944 £1,448

12.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K £18.0K

$24.1K £18.0K

0.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 £71.2

$118 £88.1

-19.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.61 £36.20

$55.6 £41.42

-12.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$116 £86.6

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 £103

$126 £93.6

10.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 £1,379

$1,653 £1,231

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 £1,036

$1,201 £895

15.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,094 £2,305

$3,062 £2,281

1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 £1,702

$2,168 £1,615

5.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,918 £5,153

$6,616 £4,928

4.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 £3,880

$4,869 £3,627

6.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,777 £2,813

$3,659 £2,725

3.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.63

-0.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bristol: May 31, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,852 in Bristol and $1,653 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $104 in Bristol vs $104 in Edinburgh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $340 per month, with Bristol cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bristol vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Edinburgh differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,879 vs $2,767 including rent). Edinburgh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bristol pays 3% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,852 in Bristol versus $1,653 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Edinburgh – a meal for two runs $104 versus $104 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Edinburgh is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bristol and Edinburgh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Edinburgh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.